


Skeletal Key

by scyler23



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-25
Updated: 2014-08-01
Packaged: 2017-12-03 15:13:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/699603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scyler23/pseuds/scyler23
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alariana Darkomir Hallows. The Spirit of Halloween. That's all she knows. Ignored for a century, then suddenly is needed by the Guardians along with a long term enemy. They need to band together with the Guardians to save not just the children but the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! New story time! I know, I know. I bet you're all wondering why I keep writing so much. Well, I just have way too many ideas floating around in my head. That's just how it is. *shrugs* Oh, well. This story was partly influenced by this mass multitude of online quizzes I took. I hope you all like it! Please R & R! Thanks!

Being a spirit is tough. Especially if you don't know a whole lot about yourself. This is something that the young spirit of Halloween knows all too well. Flitting from shadow to shadow the white and black haired girl sighed. Even after just over one hundred years she still barely knew herself. It so did not help that the Moon refused to tell her anything. Sure he was always there, but when she went to talk to him he was silent. It was really annoying. She had only ever gotten one thing out of him. He told her that her name was Alariana Darkomir Hallows and that she was the Spirit of Halloween. That was when she woke up out of the shadows in an alley. It was a little disconcerting that after a century he still refused to talk to her. Most nights she was tempted to scream at the moon but always reminded herself that it wouldn't help. She settled for glaring at it for a few moments before going back to her work. Tonight was no different, except for the fact that one of her ghouls was late in returning.  
  
  
"Where is that stupid ghoul? He should have been back by now..." Alariana sighed leaping up to land lightly on a power line.  
  
  
It was Halloween night and Alariana had sent her minions out to spread Halloween cheer. She had given them all little bag of treats to give out to the people they scared. After all, it was her job to maintain the balance of "trick" and "treat". She always made sure to reward the people she played tricks on, especially if they deserved it. The young spirit was pulled from her musings by a ghostly moan. Turning she saw the ghoul she had sent to her tower standing there. The things pale body had an almost ghostly look to it but she knew that if she touched it her hand would nit phase through.  
  
  
"Where have you been? I've been waiting for you!" she said propping her hands on her hips and sticking her chin out.  
  
  
The ghoul moaned again and held out a skeletal hand. Leaning forward her golden eyes widened slightly; inside the ghouls bony fingers was a small, black box. It looked almost like it was made of sand. Holding out her own hand Alariana waited for the fingers to loosen. It took a few moments but it finally happened. The box fell from the pale hand in to her tanned one. Her other hand waved the ghoul off as she looked at the box; it was a simple thing, only big enough to hold a small object. Opening the box Alariana's eye widened slightly. Inside the box was an earring. It was a chained cuff earring with two small, strange looking horses at the post and the cuff. Two delicate looking chains connected the two pieces. One was longer than the other, giving the piece a layered look.  
  
  
With a small smile she reached up with one hand and pulled a section of her white and black hair behind her right ear. Slipping her scythe under one arm she took the earring and fastened it to her ear. Smiling softly Alariana could only imagine what she looked like with it on. Shaking her head the young spirit took her scythe she pushed off the power line and into the air. Swinging the black weapon through the air she sat down on the shaft, letting the wind catch her easily. The South Wind whispered around her. He was constantly threatening to drop her but never did. Briefly she wondered if it was due to fear of her powers but then she dismissed the thought quickly.  
  
  
As she glided through the air she watched children run from house to house, collecting candy. Waving a hand she let a small amount of her black magic drift down to form into different creatures of fear. Children's screams filled the air as the took off, running from her monster. A small smile split her face as she dropped several bags of candy into their little bags and sacks. Tonight they would get the extra special treats that were only given to kids she scared personally. Lucky little devils.  
  
  
"Looks like we'd better head out..." she mumbled to herself.  
  
  
Lifting her head she let out a mournful howl, a call to all the creatures of the night that it was time to pack it in. More howls echoed through the night a the werewolves took up the call. As Alariana let out another howl she saw a dark form slide down the street. She ignored it and continued calling her minions back to the safety of the darkness. Pulling more of the South Wind to her Alariana glided on, leading her minions away from the small town. The only one to watch them go was Pitch Black, standing alone in the shadows.


	2. Chaper 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2! IU seem to have this strange desire to constantly keep causing pain to poor Jack... Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. The next will be much longer. I promise. Please Read and Review!

As Halloween drew to a close and the children returned inside the Guardians were panicking up at the North Pole. Jack had been out giving a few places some early snow but his visits were cut short. The ice teen returned to the Pole clutching his right arm. It had taken North almost five minutes to get him to let him look at it. When he did the big man swore in Russian and called for Phill. The big yeti walked up and North told him to go get a first aid kit to patch Jack up with. He then walked over to the panel in front of the Globe. Grabbing the switch for the fake Aurora Borealis he summoned the rest of the Guardians. The all arrived quickly, with Tooth darting over to Jack as soon as she saw him. Bunny and Sandy arrived at the same time but the Pooka was the first to speak up.  
  
  
"What happened, mate?" he asked looking around.  
  
  
"Jack was attacked. Still has not talked about it though..." North replied looking over at the teen.  
  
  
Tooth had taken the first aid kit from Phill and was slowly pulling Jack's sleeve up. As the wound was revealed she gasped. Behind her Bunny swore and Sandy had a bunch of golden exclamation points floating about his head. North had already seen it and he looked at the ground. A large gash ran from Jack's shoulder all the way down the outside of his arm to his elbow. Blood oozed slowly from the wound, a sharp contrast to the Winter Spirit's normal skin color. The wound was black around the edges and ragged looking. It made for a gruesome sight.  
  
  
Taking a deep breath Tooth started working on cleaning it. Every time Jack flinched she would apologize softly. Ten minutes later, with some assistance from Sandy, Jack was seated in a plush arm chair with his arm bandaged up and his hoodie being mended by some of the yeti's. The others were sitting around looking visibly sick. Bunny finally got up the nerve to ask what happened.  
  
  
"Jack, what happened? What attacked you?" he asked looking at the other Guardian.  
  
  
"I have no idea..." Jack said after a few moments.  
  
  
"This is bad. Could it be Pitch?" North asked, not really expecting to get a resonance.  
  
  
"It wasn't Pitch. I know that much. He was out and about but he didn't attack me. I only saw him once and that was when the monsters and other dark creatures were taking off." Jack said shaking his head.  
  
  
That only served to confuse the Guardians. They all knew that Pitch was evil and that he would do just about anything to get what he wanted. At least, that's what they thought. He was more likely to attack Jack than to just let him glide past. Especially after their last battle. Glancing at each other Sandy and North shared a strange look. They were probably the only ones who had noticed the change in Pitch's behavior. The Nightmare King was a little more distracted as of late and didn't seem as interested in scaring children as before. This change in behavior had started just under a century ago and it was a little worrying.  
  
  
"Jack, are you sure Pitch didn't attack you?" Tooth asked placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.  
  
  
"Yes. I'm positive. He was just standing in the middle of the street looking up at the receding monsters. It was strange." Jack said looking at her.  
  
  
Tooth nodded slowly but looked really concerned. She and Bunny both tried to get some more information out of Jack about his attacker. They only got that it was a black amorphous thing slinking around in the shadows. That explained the black edges on his wound. They both kept trying to see what all he had seen before hand but after a few moments of questioning he just refused to answer, especially considering he had been saying the same thing over an over. Once he clammed up Tooth stopped asking and simply put and arm around his shoulders. Bunny sighed and placed a paw on the top of the teen's head.  
  
  
"We're all just worried about you, mate. Sorry to pry." the Aussie said before hopping away.  
  
  
"I know you are but I've already told you what happened. If there was more I don't remember it. At all."  
  
  
Sapphire blue eyes looked up at the others, silently begging them to believe him. North nodded after a few seconds and Jack smiled. The big man looked around at the other Guardians with a stern look. They had to figure out exactly what was going on and what had attacked Jack. It had to have been something fairly powerful. Jack would have been able to defeat it easily other wise. That meant that it had to be stronger than Pitch.  
  
  
"Wait. If black thing beat Jack it is stronger than Pitch!" North cried, realization finally setting in.  
  
  
"What in the world is stronger than Pitch? Especially when it comes to the darkness?" Tooth asked looking up at the others.  
  
  
"I have no idea. What ever it is, though, it is powerful if it actually managed to injure you, Jack," North said looking closely at the Winter Spirit, "We might actually need some more help in order to beat this thing."  
  
  
"That would mean that we need a new Guardian," Bunny said bounding back into the room, "Or maybe even two."  
  
  
North nodded and turned to look up at the full moon. It wasn't often that the moon was full on Halloween, but it was tonight. As North watched the moon he heard a soft voice in his head. Blue eyes widened as he recognized the voice. It was the Man in The Moon.  
  
  
"North, Bunnymund is right... Two more Guardians must join you... You may not be happy with who they are but you must overcome it..." MiM's soft voice said as he directed a moonbeam over where the selection crystal was.  
  
  
The others looked up in surprise as the crystal came to the surface. Bunny silently chanted something that sounded like "Not the groundhog!" as the images of two spirits formed over the crystal's blue surface. Jack was the first to recognize the tall figure on the right. He leaped to his feet with a surprised cry. Tooth, startled by the sudden movement, fell of the arm of the chair with a squeak before turning to look at Jack. The teen wasn't even looking at her, his eyes were fixed on the crystal. Slowly the others started to get it as they too looked at the newly chosen Guardians. On the right was Pitch Black, the Nightmare King, and on the left was the young Spirit of Halloween, Alariana Darkomir Hallows.  
  
  
"I take it back. I wish it was the Groundhog!" Bunny said as he stared.  
  
  
"This is going to get really messy really quick. I can feel it in my belly." North said rubbing his ample gut with a stern look on his face.  
  
  
"Pitch would never agree to being a Guardian. We all know that! Why would Manny pick him?" Tooth asked as she pulled herself off the floor.  
  
  
"Manny said we would not like choices. Also said we have to get over it," the bearded man said turning to Sandy, "Do you think you can talk Pitch into coming here, Sandy? I have a feeling he will listen to you more than the rest of us."  
  
  
The little golden man nodded and formed a small could of golden Dreamsand under his feet. With a nod and a few symbols telling them he'd be back soon, the Sandman took off. Needless to say the others were incredibly worried about the Dreamweaver. Pitch and Sandy had been on fairly good terms after the final battle a century ago. They did have the occasional argument, but they usually ended in Sandy storming off and Pitch sulking in the shadows.  
  
  
"He will be fine," North said before turning to Jack, "Jack, if you are up to it, would you mind going to find Alariana? I would send the yeti's but I don't know where she lives."  
  
  
"Sure. I'll go find her. I just need a shirt or my hoddie back." the white haired spirit said standing and rolling his shoulders.  
  
  
The bearded man nodded and called out to Phill. He lumbered over and handed Jack back his hoddie. The blue garment had been thoroughly washed so it was incredibly soft as Jack pulled it over his head. Rolling his shoulders again the teen popped a kiss on Tooth's cheek before launching himself out of the window. They all watched him leave with trepidation. Alariana was a relatively new spirit but the Guardians had been really busy so they had all left her alone. It was a similar situation to what happened with Jack. At least this time it had only been a century and not three.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I totally forgot that I had the third chapter written but not posted. I am so sorry! Please feel free to kill me now. *bows head* Any way, chapter for is in the works and I should have it for you soon. Thanks for reading. :D

Sandy took a deep breath as he descended into the Boogeymen's lair. Darkness closed around him and the only light in the whole place came from him. As soon as he floated down into the main room a single Nightmare stepped out of the shadows. A little bit of Dreamsand sent the Fearling scurrying. Sandy decided to wait for a few moments and to not go looking for Pitch. Once the Nightmare King noticed his presence he would come storming in, demanding to know what was going on. As if on cue the tall spirit came sweeping into the room. Pitch's face was as dark as a thundercloud and his eyes were just as stormy.   
  
"Sanderson... What are you doing here?"  
  
  
'I came to talk to you.' Sandy said using his sand pictures.  
  
  
"You are a fool to come here alone. I may not be as strong as I would like but I can still toss you out." Pitch hissed glaring down at the Dreamweaver.  
  
  
'I know that. I still want to talk to you. The others thought that you might at least listen to me.' the little man signed with a small shrug.  
  
  
"They were half right! I'll listen but on my terms!"  
  
  
Sandy nodded at Pitch before dropping to the floor. The Nightmare King was stunned for a moment before turning on his heel and stalking out. He was acutely aware of the soft golden glow coming from the spirit behind him as he descended into the darker parts of the underground kingdom. They finally reached one of the more cozy rooms. Pitch stormed in ahead of Sandy and dropped down into one of the plush chairs around the black marble fire place.  
  
  
"What do you want , Sanderson?" Pitch asked in a hard voice without waiting for the other to get comfortable.  
  
  
'MiM has chosen you to be a Guardian.' Sandy signed favoring the older spirit with an annoyed look.  
  
  
"What makes you think I would ever be chosen as a Guardian? Or that I would even want to be one?"  
  
  
'MiM chose you but won't tell us why. All we know is that a new darkness has shown up.'  
  
  
"Why do I care?" the Nightmare King asked leaning back into the chair and crossing his long legs.  
  
  
'It's stronger than Jack...' Sandy signed sadly forming an image of a wounded Jack with his sand.  
  
  
Pitch straightened up immediately, staring at the little golden man across from him. Jack had easily beaten him back during their battle. How was it that there was something stronger than him? That was almost impossible! Nothing could be stronger than Jack, especially considering he now had quite the following of believers.  
  
  
"How?" was all he said looking closely at the Sandman.  
  
  
'We don't know. He says he was out giving early snow when it just attacked him. At first we all thought it was you but then he said that he saw you before he was attacked.' Sandy signed, the golden sand whirling above his head.  
  
  
Golden eyes narrowed slightly. The brat had seen him? When? He had been a little preoccupied but he still would have noticed if Jack had been anywhere near him. Shaking his head the Bogeyman looked at the ground. One of his Nightmare horses trotted up to him and nudged his shoulder. Glancing up he saw that it was Alucard. He had sent the animal out as soon as his golden counter part arrived to investigate the recent increase in fear. Sitting up suddenly he realized the that the animal was trembling.  
  
  
'Master, I found the disturbance. I could not get close to it though. It seemed to want to pull me apart the closer I got.' Alucard whispered to his master.  
  
  
"That's not good..." Pith muttered, not realizing that he had spoken aloud until a tendril of golden sand caught his attention.  
  
  
'What's not good?' Sandy asked looking concerned.  
  
  
"A dark force is producing an almost unhealthy amount of fear. True, I feel better than ever but it's too much too quickly." Pitch replied without thinking.  
  
  
'It might be the same thing that attacked Jack. It was an amorphous, black thing that seemed to be constantly emitting a dark aura.' the pictures said moving rapidly and making them hard to decipher to the unaccustomed viewer.  
  
  
'It was a formless, black thing, Master. It also smelled of blood. Not human blood, thought, spirit blood.' Alucard said tossing his head.  
  
  
Pitch relayed what the Fearling said and watched Sanderson's eyes widen. The Dreamweaver went onto say that when Jack returned to the Pole he was injured. When he described the wound both the Nightmare King and his servant flinched back. Hurting Jack like that was well below the belt, even for them. Sandy sighed silently and looked at Pitch. It was time to ask the million dollar question, again.  
  
  
'Pitch, will you join the Guardians? Will you help us stop this dark entity?' Sandy asked trying his best to hide his worry.  
  
  
The dark spirit looked down for a few moments before glancing over at Alucard. They conversed silently for a few moments. Sandy watched them and absently conjured a dream that he had sent out earlier. It was a young woman's dream, an unusual thing in and of itself. Then he saw who the main focus was; it was Alariana. Even without color it was easy to tell who it was. Sandy didn't even know Pitch was looking at him until he spoke.  
  
  
"Who is that?" he asked gesturing at the dream.  
  
  
'Alariana Darkomir Hallows, the Spirit of Halloween. She was also chosen, you know.' Sandy replied dispelling the dream.  
  
  
Pitch sat back with a strange look on his face. Sandy found it hard to decipher but let it slide. After a few seconds of apparently staring off into space Pith nodded slowly. Cocking his head to the side the Sandman formed a golden question mark above his head.  
  
  
"I will help you, I am just not so sure about joining your merry band." Pitch clarified, ever so slightly annoyed.  
  
  
Sandy smiled and nodded back. Summoning his Dreamsand he made ready to leave the lair. The Nightmare King stood as well. Alucard tossed his head as his master pulled himself onto his back. A long, grey hand gestured for the smaller spirit to lead the way. Sandy bowed slightly and took off, Pitch following behind him, as he headed for the snotty Pole.  
  
  
-Meanwhile-  
  
  
Jack drifted on the winds for what seemed like forever before he got even a hit of the Spirit of Halloween's presence. When he finally found something he mentally face palmed. The North and South winds had been bugging each other for a while now and Jack was just catching on. Alariana rode the South Wind while he rode the North. The two winds never really got along. Whenever the were near each other they fought almost constantly. It was a wonder he hadn't been thrown yet!  
  
  
"Hey! North Wind! Would you mind letting me down before you two keep fighting?!" Jack asked, shouting into the howling wind.  
  
  
The North Wind didn't reply but gently lowered it's passenger to the stone steps of a large tower. Jack calmly watched the two winds battle it out before he shook his head with a sigh. Turning toward the tower he shrank back upon seeing the two beings outside the tower. One was a large brown werewolf and the other a pale vampire. Both of them were looking at Jack, but it was the vampire's eyes that the teen avoided. Jamie had told him that, according to myths and legends, vampires could hypnotize people by looking them in the eyes.  
  
  
"Umm... I'm here to see Alariana, the Spirit of Halloween. Is she in?" Jack asked his voice cracking slightly as he looked between the fierce-some pair.  
  
  
"Our lady is in, but why would you need to see her?" the were wolf asked in a growling voice.  
  
  
"Andre! Watch your tongue! He's one of the Guardians! It is not our place to ask his business with Lady Alariana." the vampire snapped, hissing slightly at the werewolf.  
  
  
"So? What do you care, Vladimir?" Andre asked folding his furry arms across his chest.  
  
  
"If the Guardians wish to see our Lady then they must need her help. Am I correct in assuming that?" Vladimir asked turning back to Jack.  
  
  
"Yeah. We really need her help and I came to ask her if she would come to the Pole with me." Jack said nodding several times.  
  
  
Vladimir and Andre looked at each other for a moment before they both stepped aside. Nodding at both of them Jack stepped up to the large doors. Vladimir calmly pushed one of the doors open and gave the Guardian of Fun a fanged smile. He attempted to smile back but probably only managed a nervous look. The fanged smile faltered and Jack darted inside to avoid having to deal with a possibly upset vampire. Slowly the ice teen climbed the winding inner stair case. Every so often a different Creature of the Night would pass him and every time he would press himself into the outer wall, trying to control his uneasiness. Once he reached the top of the tower he was greeted by two more guards. This time there was a witch and a vampire. Before they could say anything, though, the doors flew open.  
  
  
"Come in, Jack Frost! Don't let Minna and Darius scare you off!" a light voice called from inside.  
  
  
Jack was momentarily stunned but slipped past the two guards. Both glared a him as he did but he tried his best to ignore them. As he stepped into the room the heavy doors swung shut with barely a sound. Glancing over his shoulder Jack gulped; it wasn't everyday that stuff like that happened. A soft laugh distracted him and pulled his attention to the fireplace. There, lounging in a chair with her log legs thrown over one arm, was Alariana Darkomir Hallows. Her long black and white hair spilled over the other arm of the chair and pooled on the floor as she tiled her head back.  
  
  
"Welcome, Jack Frost! To what do I owe this pleasure of your visit to my lonely tower?" she asked her golden eyes glowing in the firelight.  
  
  
"Well, I've come to talk to you, actually." Jack said staying where he was.  
  
  
"Vladimir told me as much but wouldn't give me any more details... Come over here and sit down! I won't make a Guardian stand not when you all have finally decided to pay attention to me." Alariana said swinging into an upright position and gesturing at the chair across from her.  
  
  
Jack nodded slowly and made his way over. As he went he noticed Vladimir standing in the shadows. The vampire gave him a small wave and pulled the chair back from the fire a little bit. Jack nodded at him and sat down. Just as he got settled the Spirit of Halloween pinned him with a piercing look.  
  
  
"Now, what exactly do the Guardians need me for? You all have left me well enough alone for a century so why come to me now?" she asked leaning forward and crossing her legs.  
  
  
Jack took a deep breath, collecting himself before he spoke, "MiM has called for two new Guardians to deal with this new threat. It is a form of concentrated fear but has no connection to Pitch Black. This thing is also strong. Really strong."  
  
  
At that Jack stood and pulled his sweatshirt off, revealing the bandages. Alariana sat back with a surprised look on her face. She knew Jacks reputation. He was one of the most powerful Guardians. If this thing was able to hurt him what else was it capable of? Glancing off to the side she saw Vladimir talking to one of his bats. The little things were often used as spies for the vampire king and for his mistress. Alariana held out a hand as soon as the pale being stopped talking. The bat flew over and latched onto her fingers. It chittered at her and confirmed what Jack was saying. Nordic she sent the bat off and turned to Jack.  
  
  
"I take it that the Guardians need my help?"  
  
  
"Yes. You have actually been chosen as one of the two new Guardians." Jack said pulling the hoodie back on.  
  
  
The white and black haired woman sat back, surprised. This was an interesting evening indeed. Mina had told her that this Halloween was going to be different but she hadn't said how different. Smirking softly Alariana stood up and looked at Jack.  
"Alright. I'll help. When do we leave?" she asked putting a hand on her hip.  
  
  
"Right now." the ice teen replied smiling.  
  
  
She nodded and held out her right arm. The black band there glowed with a black light before unfurling and expanding into a scythe. Twirling it behind her head she walked to the window on the far side of the room, throwing it open with a gust of wind as she got closer.  
  
  
"Shall we?" she asked indicating that he should lead.  
  
  
Jack nodded and threw himself out the window. The North wind caught him easily, lifting him up like a leaf. He heard Alariana giving Vladimir some last minute instructions before she joined him on the winds. She was now wearing a jet black witch's hat with a belt of pumpkins around the base and was sitting on the scythe like it was a broomstick. Giving Jack a smile she gestured for him to lead the way. Grinning at her he did just that; he took off with a whoop and heard her laugh as she followed him. The two spirits rode the wind like it was nothing. They would reach the Pole in no time. Then this mess would hopefully have an end.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Hey guys! Sorry this is so terribly late! Just to let you all know I still have every intention of working on all of my stories! I've just been having problems with my muse(s) and the rest of the world lately so my writing has been affected by it. I hope you all can forgive me and enjoy this chapter! *bows deeply and steps aside with a flourish*

Pitch and Sandy had arrived a few moments before Jack and Alariana. The two had flown in and Alucard had practically turned into a frightened pony. In fact Pitch was still having a hard time trying to control the animal. As soon as Jack blew into the room, however, any semblance of calm the Nightmare King had established disintegrated. Throwing his hands up Pitch stormed over to the arm chair offered to him by Sandy.

  
Once he sat down in the chair the Guardian of Fun dropped to the ground before looking back up at the window. A soft laugh announced the arrival of another person. All of the Guardians and Pitch looked up at the open window Jack had come through. Standing on the window sill was Alariana, her scythe leaned against one shoulder. Her golden eyes sparkled as as she scanned the room. Spotting the agitated Alucard she jumped into the room. 

Landing lightly in front of the Fearling she held up a hand to the panicked animal. Alucard looked at her for a moment like she was insane before he finally stepped forward, pushing his nose into her hand. Smiling Alariana rubbed his nose before the feeling of people staring at her made her turn. The Guardians and Pitch were all staring at her, slack jawed. Giving them a smile she stepped back and pulled her hat off. As it left her head it vanished in a puff of black smoke as her scythe glowed and coiled around her wrist. 

"Hello." she said tilting her head to the right. 

"Hello." was the dumbfounded reply from the majority of the room. 

"Well, now that everyone is here we begin." North said after he recovered. 

The others nodded and Alariana moved quickly over to the only available arm chair. Pitch stiffened slightly as she sat down but was otherwise completely still. North started talking about what all they knew was going on with the black thing. They didn't know a lot and most of their information came from Pitch. Finally Alariana spoke up. 

"So, we really don't know a whole lot about this thing, right?" she said pulling her legs up and tossing them over the arm of her chair. 

"Err... Right. We don't have lots of information. Have no way of gathering information without injury." North said, gesturing at Jack. 

"Think I could try something?" the teen aged spirit asked.

"Of course. Give it best shot." the big man replied with a nod. 

Alariana smiled before she practically jumped out of her chair. Calling the South Wind to her briefly she flew up to the still open window. As she landed she threw back her head and let loose a mournful howl. The Guardians and Pitch flinched slightly when she howled a couple more times. Dropping her head Alariana looked out over the ice and snow, clearly searching for something. 

A few seconds later she stepped back a bit while a swarm of bats flew up to her. The swarm dissipated and a pale figure bowed to the young woman. 

"You summoned me, my Lady?"  he asked, still looking down. 

"I did. Vladimir, I need you to send out your bats. We need to gather more information on something." Alariana said, barely missing a beat. 

"What will we be searching for?" Vladimir asked, standing when Alariana gestured for him to do so.

"I need you to look into an amorphous black thing that has been scaring children of late. Its causing problems and we need more information than we currently poses. Can I count on you?" 

"Indeed you can, my Lady. I shall attend to it immediately." Vladimir said, bowing before another swarm of bats surrounded him and took him away. 

Alariana snickered slightly as the swarm disappeared. Without turning around she jumped back into the room, landing with ease in front of her chair. The others all looked at her with wide eyes. She simply smiled before dropping back into her chair. Pitch shifted slightly to look at her before opening his mouth. 

"How will that help us in any way?" he asked, giving the Spirit of Halloween a hard look. 

"Easy; Vladamir's bats are able to go just about anywhere without being noticed at all. They can get closer to the thing and gather intel." Alariana said with a shrug and a smirk. 

"I doubt it." Pitch scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. 

Alariana huffed indignantly before throwing her legs over the arm of her chair. The other Guardians looked between the two spirits in concern. Neither of them noticed the tense atmosphere that had suddenly developed. A couple of moments later Alariana looked at the Guardians and smiled. Jack was the first to relax and start talking to her again. Sandy was the second person to relax before Tooth, North and finally Bunny. Alariana and Sandy got along quickly. The white and black haired teen was quick to pick up the code that was the little man's speech. 

Soon the two of them were fast friends. Pitch was still glaring at the pair from deep within his chair. Alucard nudged his master's arm and golden eyes focused on the Fearling.  

'Master, why are you angry?' he asked leaning down. 

'She... Ugh... I don't know...' Pitch replied sighing through his nose.

'Perhaps you could try to get along with her and the other Guardians? Or am I being to presumptuous?' Alucard said shifting from hoof to hoof nervously. 

'I know that I should but it's hard to get along with people who have hated and fought against you for centuries...' Pitch grumbled, sinking deeper into his chair.

Alucard watched his master as the tall gray man scanned to room out of habit. He was half tempted to say that Alariana hadn't been one of the ones fighting him but he refrained. Pitch wouldn't listen to him even if he was right on this situation. Deciding to get away from his moody master for a bit the Nightmare stepped over to stand beside Alariana. The young spirit looked up at him in surprise before bouncing to her feet. At first the animal thought she was going to fall over because of her 3 inch stiletto heels but she was perfectly steady on her feet. The Guardians seemed a bit worried but didn't do anything rash so they must not have been too worried. 

  
Alariana was now totally focused on Alucard. She was running her hands through his mane and saying things softly to him that made him feel, well, like an actual horse. After a few minutes though she stopped and looked up at the window. 

  
A small dark form fluttered into the large room. The small form faltered and started falling as soon as it cleared the window sill. Alariana leaped away from Alucard as soon as it started falling. Once the small form was in her arms the young spirit curled her entire body around it. The young woman then dropped like a stone. As she fell the Guardians and Pitch reacted. Bunny leaped out of his seat, Jack began summoning the wind, Tooth took to the air, and Sandy conjured up a cloud of Dreamsand. North was off to the side telling a few Yeti's to get some medical supplies ready. 

  
Before any of them could move though the whole room was plunged into darkness. As the darkness lifted the Guardians was Pitch standing in the middle of the room holding Alarina, bridal style. The woman in question had her eyes closed and was mostly unaware of her current position. A few seconds later, though, she opened her eyes and looked around. Seeing that she was not lying on the ground in a broken heap the young woman blinked slowly. Looking up she met Pitch's gaze. As close as they were she could see the barely concealed worry in the Nightmare King's golden eyes. A soft cough had the taller being setting her in her chair and stepping back like he'd been burned. Shaking her head slightly she uncurled from around the small black form. 

  
Tooth gasped as the small creature was revealed. It was a small bat, just a little bit bigger than one of Tooth's Minis. The poor thing looked like it had been thrown into a meat grinder, twice. It's wings were torn and bloody while the tiny body was covered in gouges and bruises. Alariana cooed softly at the small creature as Phill walked up with some medical supplies. The young spirit nodded at the Yeti as he handed them over to her. Gently she bandaged the little bat up before summoning her hat again. With some careful maneuvering and a little bit of help from Sandy she created a small nest for the bat.

  
Placing the wounded animal inside she gently stroked it's small head for a few seconds before she spoke, "What happened, little one? What did this to you?"

  
The bat was silent for a few seconds before it squeaked out something the Guardians and Pitch couldn't understand. Alariana sat back, eyes wide. Pitch shivered slightly as fear swirled in the air around the young woman for a few seconds before it vanished again. Saying something back to the small animal Alariana stood and turned back to the others. 

  
"This thing is a bigger problem than we thought," she said eyes dark. 

  
"How so?" North asked stepping forward. 

  
"It's not just causing fear and attacking spirits," Alariana said her voice dropping a couple octaves. "It's attacking humans as well." 


End file.
